Beyond Curriculum Internationalization: Globalization for Intercultural Competence

Introduction

Curriculum internationalization (CI) in the early decades of systematic campus internationalization in the United States—particularly in the 1970s-1990s—referred primarily to U.S. student and faculty mobility (through study, service, and research abroad), foreign language offerings, and interdisciplinary programs—mainly area studies or comparative studies. Starting in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the focus broadened markedly to encompass the delivery of content and the role of international students in the method of delivery (McLoughlin, 2001; De Vita & Case, 2003; Bond, 2006; Leask, 2011; & Leask, 2015)—a broadening which Bond characterizes as “changing fundamentally what we teach and how we teach it” (2006, p. 3). Curriculum internationalization is still about developing students’ international and intercultural perspectives, but it is not only about teaching or students. Broadly speaking, CI is about learning, and it involves every member of the campus community through purposeful curriculum planning and campus programming. It is also about exposing American students, faculty, staff, and administrators to their overseas counterparts as well as international settings and perspectives. This chapter discusses Georgia Gwinnett College’s path towards campus internationalization through a quality enhancement program, education abroad, international students and partnerships, and general campus programming.

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) was founded in 2005 as the thirty-fifth member of the University System of Georgia. The establishment of the college arose from a realization that Gwinnett County was the most populous county east of the Mississippi River lacking a four-year college. In March 2005, the Georgia legislature authorized the establishment of GGC as an access institution to “serve the broadest range of students, including those whose level of academic preparation limited their options for higher education” (initial mission and vision statement). Georgia Gwinnett College is a liberal-arts institution which provides select bachelor’s and associate’s degree programs in a student-centered, technology-enriched learning environment which meet the needs of the Northeast Atlanta metropolitan region. Gwinnett County has a population of over 907,000 residents and is home to various businesses, including those involved in health care, education, and information technology. GGC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and has over 12,000 students enrolled in programs in six schools: Business, Education, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts, Science and Technology, and Transitional Studies. GGC opened its doors to students in 2006 and began creating many aspects of student life, such as the Student Government Association, student clubs, honor societies, and other organizations, including intercollegiate (NAIA) sports. In fall 2013, GGC received its first international students.